Love You to Death
by EternalFatiguedHeart
Summary: She was only 15 and he was 26 when they met, and already they knew they were passionately and irrevocably in love. But like a rose in bloom, winter must descend and everything good must come to an end.
1. Chapter 1

**Love you to Death.**

**Chapter 1: Prologue.**

"_There's no end to what I'll do… because I love you, I love you to death."_

- - -

Tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick…

It was all he heard. The ticking, the incessant ticking. Why wouldn't it end? Where was it coming from? He felt himself becoming more numb as it continued its tedious and steady rhythm, every passing second… moving from the tips of his toes, up to the single strands of his hair. God, how he would love to just reach out and grab the sound and squeeze its life out. Was that even possible? Had he gone so far past the throes of insanity that already he was imagining himself killing a sound?

"_What was summer like for you?" she asked him with a smile._

"_What's tomorrow without you?" he silently replied._

Oh God, how it hurt.

He wanted to scream. He wanted to throw something and watch it smash and fall to pieces like his life. He wanted to tear his clothes off and rip apart his flesh and etch away his miserable existence. He wanted to die.

Tick, tick, tick, tick…

How sweet death would be at this moment. Nothing, _nothing,_ could erase the feeling that was encasing his body right now. It was like an invisible demon had come to life inside of him, eating what he ate, using his oxygen to let its wretched heart beat life, and draining his energy to keep itself going.

_Please, please Lord… I know I'm not exactly in your top list, but please spare me. Spare me Lord. Spare me this horrid pain and I will forever be in your debt. If it is even possible, I would raise a church in three days for you._

But he knew his thoughts and silent cries and pleas were falling upon deaf ears. God didn't care.

- - -

The voices echoed about in his bleak mind, reminding him of the past couple of weeks. Had it not been for the painkillers and being numbed from the world, he would never be living this hell right now. He was utmost positive he would have found a tall building by now.

He laid still for a moment, wondering if he should open his eyes. He knew once they were open he would have to come back to reality. But for a moment…

Erik shifted, his hand feeling the hem of the nightgown that all patients had to endure in a hospital. His hand caressed the material in thought for a few moments, and he shuddered, even in his dark world. He knew there was a world out there to explore. A world to find the one you love. A world to have a family in…

The voices echoed about in his bleak mind, reminding him of the past couple of weeks. Had it not been for the painkillers and being numbed from the world, he would never be living this hell right now. He was utmost positive he would have found a tall building by now.

He found himself getting caught on that thought,

_What's life without her? _He thought silently.

As he lay there for a few moments, all the voices that had been but a distant murmur, suddenly became louder and clear.

"Erik DeFleur; twenty-seven year old male Caucasian, born in Bedford Dwellings and moved here about twelve years of age. No sight of family in any local area. He is a single man, never been married and has no history of any children, but he did apparently have a romantic fling with Mr. Winslow's daughter. He is currently the town's common Embalmer working at the old morgue up on the hill. " the doctor cited, reading Erik's transcripts to another doctor.

"The girl who just passed away?"

Erik stayed still, feeling numb. It was unusual to hear your whole life read aloud in only one tiny paragraph.

A few footsteps resonated throughout, and Erik heard a third voice. "Is he alright? He went down pretty hard that day…"

Erik felt the cool hand of the doctor's hand on his arm and then on his chest. "Nothing dire seems to be affecting him. I think he is just in shock. It's pretty hard to lose someone you love…"

The guest nodded and placed his hand on Erik's forehead, drawing the sign of the cross across his forehead, ignoring the strange feel or part of his face. "Will he be able to leave soon? I'd like to discuss some things with him."

The doctor nodded, setting down the transcripts on the nightstand by Erik's head. "He should be ready anytime now… I think he's just hiding from the world because it emotionally hurts, not physically."

"It's God's trials and tests of faith."

xoxo

_Friday, November 13, 1992._

He looked across the field filled of graves, to the trees that stood against the dark cloudy skies. Black clouds hung above, water falling from them like tear drops of a lover.

Holding out his hand palm facing up, he felt the fat raindrops landing square on his hand. His closed eyes opened for but a second, and he looked at the rain. His mind though numb, kept processing one question; what colour was the rain? Did it truly even have a colour, or was it invisible as he felt he was right now?

"_I will always be with you… I'm the anchor of your sorrow."_ the words whispered in the fierce wind that gusted along, making the hair on the nape of his neck stand out, causing the rain to come down harder in that moment. The group of people who stood around the dug hole in the ground, and the casket beside it, held tightly to their black umbrellas.

"_For as much as it pleased almighty God of his great mercy to take unto himself the soul of our dear sister here departed, we therefore commit her body to the ground…" _the Priest read aloud.

"Such wretched weather." a woman whispered to her husband, barely hearing what the Priest had to say. "The poor thing barely even begun to live life." she smoothed out the slight wrinkles on her black dress.

Erik glared at the woman standing across from him, along with her husband. He couldn't believe the audacity of her for saying such things at his beloved's burial. His thoughts caught on the word _burial_, and he almost choked up bile from such a thought.

He clenched his fists at his sides, feeling the leather gloves on his hands bunching up and being stretched. She had lived her life more than any of the fake people standing here pretending they were sorry for her departure!

Tick, tick, tick, tick!

Oh when would the incessant ticking cease? He felt like a bomb was planted inside him and he was ceaseless to its eventual combustion.

His eyes couldn't bare looking at the coffin, so he raised them up, only to be met with the eyes of someone he hated more than anything in the world. Those dark plutonic eyes stared into his, and Erik could see the anger and resentment burning inside of them, his hand trembling as it clenched tightly, the black handle of his umbrella.

His shorter wife, pale and circles circling her eyes, held tightly to her husband's arm, looking completely exhausted and not alive.

"_Earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust…"_

"Did you see the man she had claimed to love? " a woman whispered.

"Did you know he wore a mask and was terribly ugly underneath?" another said.

"Such a beautiful girl… we always knew she could do better."

"Wasn't there a charming young man after her?"

Tick, tick, tick, tick!

"… _In sure and certain hope of resurrection to eternal life, through our Lord Jesus Christ… _"

Erik squeezed his eyes tightly shut, hearing all their voices… all their murmurs…

"I bet… I bet her hideous lover is the reason she is lying dead… being placed ten feet under. I warned her she was making the wrong choice… I warned her, why wouldn't she listen?" the girl sobbed.

Erik stood still as he listened to the group of people around his beloved's coffin, mock, and make up hideous lies of him, knowing he was standing right there.

He hadn't wanted to come… no, not at all. He always told her how he hated groups of people… how he abhorred it! But… but today was special… he couldn't let his beloved go down below without him to watch over her…

"… _who shall change our vile body that it may be like to his glorious body…_" at the moment, a group of men stepped forward, and they began to move and lower her body into the ground where she would rest eternally…

Tick, tick, tick, tick!

The whispering speculations of everyone around, grew louder…

"…_according to the mighty working, whereby he is able to subdue all things to himself…_"

Sobs began to wrack him as he saw it go deeper and deeper into the ground. He fell to his knees, not caring of the grass was wet and contained with mud. He didn't care if anyone saw him.

When he looked up, he saw the two black eyes.

"It was all your fault." the voice whispered.

Boom!


	2. A Cup of Coffee

A/N: Hello, welcome to my third story! :) This was a story I kind of made up awhile ago when I heard a certain song... that I happened to download and put on my ipod, and heard it for the first time in Math class last year :D. It's called _Love You to Death_ (obviously :P) by Kamelot. It's a really good song... so I suggest you check it out :P but, it might give away things to my story... so your call :P

Anyways, Happy Friday the 13th, and please read and review, that's all I ask of you!

-EFH

xoxo

**Chapter 2: A Cup of Coffee.**

"_When they met, she was 15, like a black rose blooming wild…" _

_- - -_

_Thursday December 12, 1991._

The bell rattled on the glass door of _Daily Grind_, as Christine entered the tiny little coffee shop. The smell of roasted coffee beans, with a mix of freshly made cinnamon bums, wafted through the air, and her stomach growled.

The sound of _Jingle Bells_ played through the little café, and only a few people sat in the remote place. A few business men sat at their own table, one or two truckers on stools at the counter, and a lone man in the back corner, reading a newspaper.

Christine smiled as she felt the cheery Christmas atmosphere around the little shop. It was her favourite time of year of course; the one time her parents got along and made attempts to have a _real _family festivity. Being an only child, her parents tried a bit harder.

She slung her backpack to the right of her shoulder, deciding what it was she wanted. Hot chocolate? Double Double? English Toffee? She had a sudden craving for Eggnog.

She had never been in there before, as it was her first day really living here in this town, after moving from her former home in Boston. She wasn't really sure why her parents wanted to move to nowhere Ville, Pennsylvania. It was basically a hick town compared to where she came from before.

Yes, she had gone to school for about two weeks, but it still felt really new to her. She attended North Warren Regional High School, and already hated it.

Christine knew she was a different person from most others, and she was ok with that. She had never really followed the crowd or had any real friends. She did get along really well with a pet fish, but it died a week or two later, and that was the end of that.

"Can I have just a double double?" Christine asked hesitantly, deciding to keep it simple. She took one look at the man serving her, and made the quick assumption, he wasn't the man who took to anything outside the realm of coffee and hot chocolate.

He looked at her and gave a nod. "Fifty-two cents."

Christine handed him the change and waited as he went to get her, her coffee. She cringed though, as the voices of two people hit her ears. "Oh my God, It's her." She looked around, not seeing anyone, till she spotted the two.

Near the door, were two of the girls she went to school with. Their names were Mandy and Andrea. They weren't necessarily popular, but they were definitely above her and the school's worst gossipers. Since the minute she had arrived at North Warren Regional, she had heard them pick apart her clothes, her hair, her family. She wasn't even sure how they knew about her family.

The blonde Mandy, seemed to be the prissiest of the two. Christine had heard rumours that her dad was having a torrid love affair with some woman from his work, and that was why she acted this way. Her current boyfriend was Mike Landsfry, the school's football captain. A handsome young athletic blonde as well. They were the school's hottest item.

Andrea was the brunette who was basically Mandy's sidekick. She followed Mandy like some sick dog. She really had no life outside Mandy's. Although apparently, she was a really sweet girl when she wasn't around Mandy.

Christine ignored their rapid whispers as she took the steaming cup of coffee, relieved to have something to do in front of them. She was just going to sit down and hope the two left. But they didn't.

"Whatcha doing Christine?" one of them said sarcastically, taking a step towards her. She smiled so falsely. She looked at Christine's drink and just smirked. "Not like you need the extra calories, don'tcha think?"

Andrea giggled. "It'll go straight to her hips!"

Mandy replied instantly, "like it already hasn't…"

"Look, she has nothing to say." Mandy stated, and Andrea made a whimpering noise.

"So there's a rumour going around that you _considered_ being a cheerleader." Mandy pushed right up in front of Christine's face, her eyes meeting square on with Christine's. Christine immediately wanted to argue that she would never want to be such a thing, but Mandy spoke sharply first, "that isn't a position for you, _maggot_." she whispered sharply.

Christine said nothing, actually feeling speechless. She knew Mandy was a spoiled bitch, she had listened to her a few times before, but she never had come in contact with her vindictive side at all. She had always prided herself in being able to stand up for herself, but for once she felt completely frozen.

Her eyes darted from Mandy's around the coffee shop, and could see a bunch of eyes on her and the girl in front of her, even Andrea was standing off by the door, eyeing them.

Christine suddenly felt her anger flare as the look in Mandy's eyes practically burned her. "I wouldn't want to be another one of you!" and she shoved past Mandy, brushing her shoulder roughly.

Mandy seemed shocked by Christine's brazenness, but the bell jingled on the door as Mike came in. "Hey, why did you two want me to meet you in here?" he asked, looking at his girlfriend, who suddenly was all smiles.

She went up to him, "no reason." and kissed him on the lips.

Andrea piped in, "we better get to school Mandy, we don't want to be tardy for Barber's class; one more time and he threatened to call my folks."

Mandy smiled and flicked her blonde hair back. "Just a sec…" she looked over at Christine who was walking to the far end of the coffee shop with her mug. Christine turned and looked at her and Mandy called out pleasantly, "Oh Christine… I'll see you later in school… _Maggot._"

Christine glared as the two girls left laughing with Mike, who looked at Christine for a few seconds, before leaving. Christine felt so angered as the two bimbos and their puppet left, that she didn't even realize she felt air until the uncomfortable feel of the floor met her stomach.

She didn't need to look, her face was bright red, and she knew everyone in the little place was now officially looking at her. _Well now I know a place I can eliminate from my list._ She thought, almost ready to burst into tears, as she felt the sting of the hot coffee that had landed on her hand and splashed her face.

Two weeks in… two weeks in and she was ready to give up. She was ready to move again. She might as well resign now and cut out some holes in a paper bag and put it on her head.

Just when she was ready to push her lame self off the ground, a pair of warm, masculine hands were grabbing a hold of hers, and helping her up. She, for some reason expected it to be the man who had served her, her coffee… and now she was going to eternally own him on her second week here. She might as well take a terrible criminal picture of herself now, and spare him the trouble, and hang it up for him.

But when she looked up, her eyes met a face completely different… as in, completely out of this realm. He wore what appeared some kind of a white leather mask that only covered half his face. But that wasn't what she first noticed. No, it was the unique colour of green his eyes appeared to be… like an emerald of some sort. And his black hair, as dark as the midnight skies, that were smoothed back with some kind of gel. She almost wondered what they were like when in their natural state of grace. She felt dazed just looking at him, like this wasn't real.

"Are you alright?" he asked her quietly, as he set her on her feet and looked her over.

"I'm… I'm fine." she sounded so fake to her own ears. "T…thank you." she almost felt herself go red as she just stared at him, but remembered what to do; she gave him a huge smile. Her daddy always used to tell her that if she made an embarrassing mistake, to just smile; smiles fixed all problems.

The man said something, but it was too soft for Christine to hear.

Christine felt like she had to say something quickly, because all she had been doing was staring at the man's face and she was afraid of insulting him. "Can I buy you another coffee?"

He chuckled. "I think you're the one who needs another cup of coffee… but thank you." he stood back, after helping her up onto her feet and went to the counter. "Can I get another two coffees? One's double double, the other's just plain black."

Christine heard him and turned to him to protest. "No, please don't-" and then she slipped over the spilt coffee and fell again.

She felt frustrated and completely embarrassed now. This really wasn't her day. She quickly moved after him. "Sir, you don't have to buy me my coffee, I should be buying yours…."

He turned to her. "Don't call me Sir, makes me feel twenty years older." she thought he was serious for a second, till she saw the slight smile that played on his lips.

Christine smiled, feeling immensely relieved for some reason. She felt kind of enthralled with him; she assumed it was because of the mask. She felt like she was in a trance as she stared at him.

"Enjoy your coffee." he replied when she said nothing, just staring at him. He felt awkward, like some roadside show for her to gawk at. He moved to leave when she replied in the most softest voice he had ever heard. He almost hadn't heard her it was barely audible.

"Please stay and have coffee with me." such simple words. She smiled, "I'm Christine Winslow." she held out her free hand for him to shake it.

"Erik Defleur." he responded, shaking her hand. She was the new girl he had heard of moving into their quiet little town from a much bigger city. He had wondered what it would be like, but seeing the two nasty girls with her just now, he kind of figured it out.

He knew it was strange, but he felt kind of fascinated by her, despite there just meeting. She seemed… different. She was a gorgeous little thing he'd ever happened to see, but still different none the less.

Christine smiled. "It's nice to meet you Erik." taking a seat at the table at the back he previously sat at. "I just moved here actually… from Boston." she blushed.

Erik nodded, smiling. "Yes, I heard about you and your family. Your dad is a plumber, correct?"

Christine smiled, feeling surprised. It was unusual for a stranger to already know about her life. She guessed it was the whole small town thing in action, where everyone knew each other and every little piece of scandalous news. In her last city, nobody was close or knew anyone unless they were friends, family or work.

"What made him decide to move here? I'm assuming there wouldn't be anymore business here, there is over there?" Erik asked, sipping his coffee, just letting it cool down.

Christine watched him in amusement. He seemed to know a lot. "No, that isn't the reason. He wanted to move here because his brother, my uncle, lives here. Although business might not be too bad… especially if there isn't too many plumbers and shit happens." she giggled.

Erik actually laughed at that comment. He didn't know why, it wasn't necessarily funny… but he liked her, and she was funny in her own strange quirky kind of way.

He looked at his watch and his heart leapt. "It's five to eight-thirty. Aren't you going to be late for school?" he wished he hadn't said that, now she was going to leave and they'd probably never talk to each other. Maybe this hadn't been much of a conversation, but it was a lot to him. Most people in this small town avoided him like he was some form of a plague, and he knew why. There were the few that didn't seem to mind him.

"Oh crap!" Christine shot up. "Is it really?" she looked at her watch, ready to dash out of there. She grabbed her bag and threw it to the ground. Erik gave her a strange look, but she sat down. "Never mind that, I'll stay here with you." she honestly did not want to go to class tardy, and face Mandy and Andrea and the obnoxious comments and notes they'd pass her about why she was late, as well as the detention she'd face. She'd just have to catch up tomorrow.

Erik looked at her. "You strike me as a straight A student, why are skipping?" he was now drinking his coffee so fast; he wanted to make sure this wasn't some incredible dream and needed to be alert.

Christine sighed. She wasn't in the mood to make excuses. She wanted a friend to talk to and she had none. "Honestly… it's a long story."

Erik looked at his watch. "We have time. You now have the whole day."

Christine looked at him startled. "You'll actually spend the whole day with me? A young teenager you don't even know?"

"Well I don't actually have any friends, and company sounds surprisingly… pleasant and eventful for once in my pathetic life." he laughed at himself.

Christine smiled, drinking her coffee. "I actually have no friends either. Wow, we really are two pathetic people." she giggled now. "I usually spend my day reading or something. In my last home, I only had one best friend. I was really upset when I had to leave her."

Erik looked at her in surprise. "You only had one friend?" he just couldn't seem to fathom that. He took one look at her, and saw a beautiful young girl reaching woman hood. She had the perfect body that was tiny and had all the curves in all the right places. Her hair was a mass of chocolate curls that came halfway down her back and framed her extremely pale, heart shaped face. She had lips that were kissable and looked soft, a small little nose, and almond shaped eyes that were almost a violet colour. She was incredibly unique looking and he couldn't understand why anyone wouldn't like her. His only real guess was, girls were envious.

Christine blushed and Erik immediately loved it. "Yeah, I guess I'm just not that pretty or something…" Erik was about to interject, when Christine started talking. "Tell me about yourself Erik." she changed the topic; she didn't want to talk about herself.

Erik knew she had changed the subject, but he went along anyways. "Myself? I'm not that interesting of a person though…" he smiled.

Christine laughed. "Everyone has a story to tell. That's what life is; a story. Some are shorter than others, but it's still a story none the less."

"Interesting evaluation on life." he smiled. "Well, I am the town's embalmer. I work up on Stroudsburg."

Christine's eyes widened and looked at him in curiosity. "You're an embalmer?" the career had always been thought to be one of those jobs only sick and crazy people do. Or at least her parents thought so.

Erik laughed. "Think I'm crazy?" he finished drinking his coffee. "Just adds to my appeal… doesn't it?" he saw her amused expression. "Someone has to do it Christine. Dead bodies have to be dealt with one way or another."

She smiled and nodded. He was right, naturally. "I guess you just never meet people who do those kinds of things… it seems crazy when you do."

He liked her logic. She wasn't like everyone else; she didn't jump to conclusions and she seemed to be able to reason with things and understand them.

"So how old are you anyways?" he asked. He looked at her this whole time, and he couldn't seem to decide on an age she would possibly be. She appeared to be either sixteen or seventeen.

"Fifteen." she stated.

He felt his heart drop. She was only fifteen. She was much too young for him. He knew it was wrong to already be thinking of dating her, she would never like him like that. It almost seemed immorally wrong. She was probably one of those devout Christians who went to Church every Sunday, and preached and was dead set against all sin, along with the rest of her family.

"I'll be sixteen in the spring though." she smiled, like that was the answer to some big secret. "How old are you?"

"Twenty-six." _too old_, his mind secretly thought.

"That's not too old." she replied, taking a stirring straw and stirring her coffee for no reason. "Only about ten or eleven years older."

He liked how she acted so nonchalant about it. He wished everyone else would too. If people realized he was hanging around a fifteen year old, they would immediately assume the worst of him. Not like they didn't already.

Erik said no more about their age difference, he didn't like the topic at all. "What do you want to be when you grow up?"

She stared at him. "Please don't say grow up… makes me feel like I'm five again. I know I'm only fifteen, but I feel a lot older than I really am."

He gave his apology. He understood.

"I want to be a nurse." she stated. "I like taking care of people." she stated more to herself then him. "And I always wanted to wear a white nurse's uniform dress." she blushed.

Erik smiled. He liked the image of her in a white dress… a white dress soaking wet. He shook his head though, he was not going to do that to her, even if it was only in his mind. Christine was pure and innocent, and he planned to keep her that way.

"Do you have any family?" Christine asked him, noticing they had spent two hours talking already. It only felt like five minutes to her though.

She felt like she could tell him anything. He was strangely calming.

Erik frowned. "No." he'd been alone for seven long years. "I moved here when I was twelve with my father, but he passed away when I turned nineteen, from lung cancer. Right on the exact day of my birthday. I have no siblings I know of, and my mother left the second I was born and she took one look at me." his words came out spiteful and in hurt. His father had chosen to move here with his _special _son, in hopes that a quiet town would do him some good.

Christine just gave him a small smile. His life obviously hadn't been the happiest. "I'm an only child too. My mom had a lot of problems giving birth to me… and after that she wasn't able to conceive again."

Erik sensed a bit of sorrow and anger in those words, but he chose not to comment.

As the hours drew on, the two learnt a lot about each other. Christine discovered he was a talented pianist, and knew how to cook rather well. Also, that he lived by himself and personally decorated his own house. Erik learnt that Christine spoke Spanish and French fluently, could play the violin fairly well, and took singing lessons every Tuesday at four o'clock after school.

"Excuse me you two, but I'm closing the café down now." the man who had given them their coffee said, as he swept around the café. All the chairs had been lifted, except for his and Christine's.

Erik looked at his watch, and it was three minutes to six o'clock. He couldn't believe that he and Christine had stayed for that many hours, just talking.

"It's already six?" Christine gasped, looking at his watch as he held it up for her to view. "Wow, I totally forgot the time." she grabbed her backpack as her and Erik thanked the café owner, and made their way out, the bell on the door jingling as it shut behind them.

"Do you have to be home?" Erik asked, worried she'd be in trouble because of him.

Christine shook her head. "My curfew is nine on school nights. I know a really good field that's really secluded, that we could go to if you have no where to be…?"

Erik smiled and agreed.

She knew he liked to be alone as much as she did. She had happened upon this one magical Saturday when she was bored and wanted some peace from her parents who seemed to non-stop argue and fight.

Erik followed, wishing they could do this again tomorrow, but knowing he had to work, and she had school. So far she hadn't mentioned seeing or hanging with him outside of today, and he was terrified to bring it up. What if she said no?

They made it to the field. She was right; there was absolutely no one around. It was basically a little clearing by a river, in a forest near the power lines of the city. It was very dark out though, so he couldn't see everything as well as he would have liked, and he was weary of hobos coming around.

They sat down and they both gasped when they felt the contact of the dew on the night time grass, making them laugh. "I forgot that happens." Christine giggled, coughing.

They spent the rest of the time laying there, just chatting like old best friends or something towards that. Christine couldn't believe how unusually comfortable she felt around him. Someone she had just met, but felt like the only person who understood her.

Yes, it seemed crazy… but wasn't life about new things? Things out of the ordinary? And Erik was most definitely out of the ordinary. In fact, so was she, and so was this whole complete day.

She had played hooky. Hooky; something Christine had never done her whole life. Nor, spend it with a guy who was clearly eleven years older then her, and looked strange. If her parents saw him, they'd perhaps have a heart attack. They'd be asking things like, _what if he is a rapist or a murderer? _Was it unusual to know that he wasn't a rapist though? Was it strange for your heart to feel so comfortable and at ease around someone you did not even know?

Before she knew it, the hours passed by once more, and already it was quarter to nine. "Well, it's close to your curfew, we better get you home." Erik stated suddenly.

"Is it already nearly nine?" Christine asked, shocked. She sat up, looking at him through the darkness. Her eyes had adjusted of course, and she could see him getting up.

Erik nodded, and helped her up. "Yes, seems we kill time quite well." Erik smiled. He had, had a good time. He hadn't been so content around another person in a long time.

"It was really nice to meet you Erik Defleur." Christine shook his hand as they made their way out of there, towards her home.

"Likewise, Christine Winslow." Erik shook her offering hand back.

The two walked down the street side by side as snowflakes began to fall from the sky that eve, the two just talking once more. I guess it just happened to be… _fate. _


	3. Formaldehyde and Happiness

**A/N:** Before I get another comment about _pedophilia_, let me say that there are couples who marry 20 years apart. I realize that yes, Christine is only 15, but she is turning 16, and there are lots of stories of girls that age, dating men much older. My parents for instance, are 13 years apart. My mom met my dad when she was 13 and he was around 26. In some warped way, they developed feelings for each other and started dating when she turned 16, and married as soon as she graduated. I don't intend for Erik to be some major creeper in this story, so I apologize if he might be coming off in that light.

As for timing issues, each chapter takes place quite a different time from the previous chapter, as everything is supposed to be going fast, that was my goal. As for chatting a lot, it's supposed to be a kind of an instant connection, and solace they seemed to sub-conciously realize in the other. I've had conversations like that in real life, so I know that they do in fact, occur.

-EFH

xoxo

**Chapter 3: Formaldehyde and Happiness.**

"_I will always be with you…"_

_- - -_

_Wednesday, January 29, 1992. _

"It's snowing!" Christine smiled, holding out her gloved hand, as a snowflake landed square on the palm of it. She turned to Erik, who was walking along beside her and she began giggling like a five year old.

Erik shook his head, but couldn't help but smile at Christine, who seemed so innocent right now. "You realize this is about the third 'bout of snow so far this winter." he reminded.

She just giggled and nodded her head. She passed him her cup of coffee she was holding and started dancing in the snowflakes, giggling as she spun around. She loved forgetting she was fifteen for just a few moments, and acting like the kid she knew was deep down.

There was something about being a kid again that made the world feel ok. When you were young, there was no misery in life, everything was happy and one great adventure after the next.

It had been a little over a month since Christine had met Erik, and she couldn't recall spending as much time with anyone else, the way she did with him. Every morning before school, she went into the coffee shop and had coffee with him, and then he would walk her to school. After school, she'd meet up with him at the coffee shop again, and then they'd hang out till her curfew.

Her parents knew their daughter had a close friend, but they didn't know exactly who this person was. Christine's excuse for never mentioning Erik was, they never asked. She knew one day though, they would, and she wasn't looking forward to that day. Erik was a bit eccentric for them…

Till then though, she would enjoy every moment with him. She usually did all her homework at night time, so she could spend as much time with Erik as possible. She knew it was insane, but it felt nice to have a companion and a best friend that she was so close to. She told him virtually everything about herself, and vice versa. They had nothing to hide.

"Yes, but I absolutely love the snow!" Christine exclaimed to him as they drew nearer and nearer to her school. She found that she absolutely hated school now; more than the average teen did. It took time away from her and Erik.

One day when she had completed her assignment in class early, and had nothing to do, so she decided what she was going to do with the rest of her life after high school. Naturally, she was going to go to college and university. But she had decided she was going to become an embalmer like him, and join him in his profession. She knew she wasn't exactly comfortable around dead bodies… but at least Erik was there. _I think I can contain my urge to vomit. _

She giggled.

Erik looked at her, feeling a rush of emotions. "What are you laughing about? You sound like some little six year old who knows what she's getting for Christmas before everyone else does."

He couldn't help but admire her though; she was a gorgeous little creature. The way her hair full, the way the cold tainted her cheeks so they were rosy red… and watching her prance about like that in the snow.

She came to a complete stop, and then resumed step with him, as they moved along the sidewalk. There was a more calm and mature presence to her, as she boldly claimed, "I've decided after school ends, I want to become an embalmer and work with you."

Erik felt his heart stop for a fraction of a second. "You know what embalmers do, right?" he smiled. Of course he knew, that she knew.

Christine swatted his arm that her backpack was slung on. "Of course I know!" she exclaimed, pretending to be mock annoyed. She started to giggle again, but quit, as she felt slightly dizzy.

He smiled as they continued walking down the sidewalk. As they drew nearer to the school, more kids passed them.

Erik turned at the sound of a couple of girls laughing behind them. He saw four girls and a guy laughing, one of them was pointing at him. Erik looked at Christine, but she seemed totally oblivious to it. He wondered how used to it Christine was, and how long it had been going on.

He couldn't even fathom why she'd be teased; she was such a beautiful girl. The only thought he could even reason with, was they were all just very envious. _Ha, I love that. _He wondered when she'd be asking about the mask though. It must bother her that is face was half obscured by a cheap plastic blockade.

"Doesn't that bother you?" he asked, looking back at the kids who appeared to be pointing at him. "That they're laughing at you because of me?" he secretly hoped her answer wouldn't be a yes…

She looked at the kids laughing at her, and then Erik in the eyes. "No, it doesn't bother me at all." she said it with a certain air to her voice, that even he couldn't question her. "I don't care what _anyone_ thinks Erik… I care about you."

Erik said nothing more, just smiling to himself.

They finally walked up to the entrance of her high school. "Have fun learning, and go grab that education!" he laughed, teasing her. He really didn't know what else to say. He didn't even know if he should hug her. They were good friends now, but still… he didn't want to look like a _pedophile._

_Pedophile? Did I honestly just label myself as that?_ He chuckled to himself. He realized that yes, there was an age difference… but when had that stopped anyone before?

He didn't have to worry about that question anymore, Christine embraced him out of nowhere and whispered in his ear, "see you after school." she pulled back, smiled and practically pranced into the school.

Erik felt himself dazed and smiling. He looked around and saw lots of kids staring at him, which kind of destroyed his mood. He looked around and noticed how even more kids were beginning to point and laugh at him, now that Christine was gone.

He turned and rushed away from the school, but looked back, only because he remembered that Christine was still in that wretched building. She'd be in there for another two and a half years. He knew she hated it as much as he did. This past month he couldn't help but notice how much she hated talking about school, or how if she did, it was usually a negative comment towards it.

Still, he couldn't help but feel sad to the quite different age difference they had. She was only fifteen right now, and well, he wasn't… that almost seemed like a blasphemy. He wouldn't deny it, he was really attracted to her… in an usual short amount of time. He always knew himself to be one of those people who didn't believe in love at first sight… .

He kicked a pebble, squeezing his hands as he made his way to his car parked at the coffee shop, to drive to work. _Something _he had been neglecting quite a lot since he started spending more time with Christine. His partner Jamison, hadn't been too impressed as of late with his work attitude.

As he drove up the long famous hill to his work, her face was permanently engraved in his mind. She was so beautiful.

He pushed down on the break pedal, as he realized just how much he liked her right now. Letting the car idle at its half way point up the hill, he just sat there and thought about her. He'd been thinking about her a _lot _since a month ago, when he first met her. Even a lot was an understatement. She was constantly on his mind, the smell of her always burning in his nostrils.

He desperately wanted to touch her. Did that sound monstrous? It didn't even have to be something sexual, he just wanted to hug her, hold her hand, anything.

"_I don't care what anyone thinks Erik… I care about you." _Those were her exact words. She cared about him… and he cared about her too. _A lot more than you'll ever know. _He thought wistfully.

He put his face in the steering wheel and just sighed. He didn't know what to do… it wasn't until he pushed his face hard enough and a loud honk came from the car, that he sat up with a jolt.

Glancing in the rear-view mirror, he saw two cars behind him, looking at him in annoyance, and one even honked them self.

Driving forwards, he parked and went inside.

- - -

"So the man with no life finally comes to work!" Jamison joked as Erik finally made his way down into the basement, dressed in his work attire- a lab coat and a pair of surgical gloves.

Erik glared at the man who had always been sort of a friend to him, and his partner in his career. They had helped put both each other through schooling and always stuck together even after, when applying for a job. At first the funeral home only had one position open and for Jamison, but after he refused and refused and stated he worked only with Erik, they became desperate enough and knew Jamison's talents were outstanding, they took the two into their family.

"Oh shove it Jamison, I'm not in the mood." he growled, grabbing all the equipment he'd need.

Jamison raised his hands and replied, "whoa! Calm down, I'm only saying I've never seen you this way before, over _anyone._" Oh Jamison knew all about Christine. Erik tried hard to keep it silent, but one slip up, and Erik's face, told him everything he'd need to know. Erik was falling hard.

Erik bit his tongue, as he took a look at the dead body that they'd begin on. He sighed. "I don't know what to do, I really like her… but what about…?"

Jamison knew what Erik was talking about instantaneously; the mask. It had never really been a problem between the two of them, because Jamison never really cared. "Erik, if she really cares about you, I don't think one mask is going to make a difference."

"Well the face might." Erik complained. He was past the point of getting angry, now he just wanted to sulk. He felt like he had found something, and lost it. Like some _Paradise Lost_ kind of fool. "I may as well just accept it, she can't love me. I'm practically eleven years older than her, my face is enough to be a Halloween special effect found at a second hand store, and she is a gorgeous as they come… ."

Jamison shook his head. The man was love sick and never at work. "So this is why you never to come to work then." he smiled at Erik. "Because of a girl?"

Erik looked over at him and glared at the man. He usually told him pretty much everything, but lately not so much. "Let's just get to work."

Jamison smiled, knowing he was right. He didn't say anything though, and got started.

"What is the man's story?" Erik asked, referring to the dead old man's body lying on the embalming table.

"Car accident, T- Boned." Jamison said, grabbing a bottle and spraying the man's eyes, mouth and nose. The deceased body's eyes opened. He then took some soap and began rubbing the body's arms with it.

Erik nodded, taking a needle gun and shooting it into the man's lips and upper gums.

The two both worked silently on the body, Erik's mind completely elsewhere. He admitted he'd been shirking work quite a bit, but he hadn't completely been ignoring it. He hadn't been coming in as early, and hadn't been staying as late. Those were times he was spending with Christine.

A couple hours passed, and it was nearing two o'clock; Christine was definitely in her fourth class for the day; gym. He knew how much she hated gym class. She said she hated the sweat and the feeling of her heart racing, because it made her feel sick.

Erik massaged the limbs, making sure the blood was flowing out, and the embalming liquids through, and the machine was working properly. He moved a bit faster, knowing she was going to be out of school soon, and made a trocar start to prod at his belly button.

Jamison noticed Erik keep glancing at the clock on the wall and said, "everything is done except for the cream and the makeup, it can be done tomorrow for ol' Mr. Carlton here." Erik knew he was saying this because he was telling him to go see Christine.

Erik smiled. "Thanks Jamison, see you tomorrow." and he bounded out of there.

Jamison watched him leave, cleaning up all the supplies and covering the body. He felt bad for his friend, who had given up on love back a long time ago. He just hoped he didn't get hurt again.

xoxo

Erik kept a fast pace as he passed through a pond Christine had shown him. He decided not to take his car, so he would have to go back to work that night and finish some business. Without looking, he stumbled over a rock.

"Fuck," he cursed, as his knee had gone into the dirt. Standing up, he wiped it off as best as he could. "I wonder if water would help." he thought aloud.

He stuck his hand in the cool midst's of the water and pulled his scooped hand out and put the water on the dirty spot, rubbing at it. He felt annoyed, watching it spread. He didn't have time for this. Christine was out of school in barely even fifteen minutes.

He sighed, wondering if he was getting himself in too deep with her. He knew he had strong feelings developing for her and what if she didn't reciprocate them? He knew that even after a month, it was too early to classify any form of feelings as love, but he just had a strange gut feeling. He had never believed in those corny romance movies, but maybe there was a chance.

He put his arm on his leg, and he saw his reflection in the water, as the pond water stilled once again. He frowned, seeing his hideous self once again. He couldn't even believe she let people see them out together in public! He slapped the water with his hand; he didn't care if he was feeling sorry for himself.

Getting up, he walked fast out of there.

- - -

Christine bounded out of school as fast as her legs would carry her. She hated that place and the people, and she knew Erik would be waiting for her like he always did.

He was the only person she wanted to see anymore. Her parents asked her where she always went, but she just told them it was studying and hanging at the pond; she had always been quite the loner… .

She beamed as she finally saw Erik standing under a willow tree just down the street from her school where they always met. She ran up to him, dropping her backpack and just threw herself into his arms. She sniffed him, loving how he always smelt like cologne and pine mixed together.

"It's been a long day." she spoke into his chest, just hugging him tightly, not that he minded. "I hate school."

Erik laughed, trying not to think about earlier. "Well I got you something." he pulled out a red rose, and he presented it to her.

"Oh my God!" she clutched the rose, sniffing it, and then hugging him again. "Thank you Erik!" she laughed, and smiled at him brightly, realizing just how much she was_ falling _for him.

He smiled, "it's much better than formaldehyde."


	4. My Unfortunate Valentine

A/N: I had to change the rating to mature for there is quite a bit of swearing in this chapter... and for upcoming chapters. So it is mature now. Please read and review!

-EFH

xoxo

Chapter 4: My Unfortunate Valentine.

"_I will always be with you, I'm the _anchor_ of your sorrow."_

_- - -_

_Friday February 14, 1992._

"You're a God damn fucking bitch is what you are!" he screamed, raising his arm and slapping her face as hard as he could. "I'm so fucking sick of you and you're fucking ways!"

She stumbled backwards and fell down hard, her right cheek flat on the cold linoleum flooring of the kitchen. She sobbed at the dull throb that overtook her head.

"Oh for the sake of Christ, would you get up off that floor, and stop crying!" he yelled, going over to the fridge. "And God damn, put some fucking beer in the house for once in your life. I don't give you grocery money to buy shit like milk and juice."

"I'm - I'm sorry." she sobbed, clutching a dining room chair, trying hard to get up.

He turned on her. "Fuck, you better be, you fucking whore!" he slapped her again. "I come home every God damn day from work, after a fucking eight hour shift, expecting just a nice simple meal with my wife and daughter, expecting my beer to be stocked, my TV to be clear… and I get a little whore for a wife, a daughter who's never home and is probably sleeping around with every guy out there, a pathetic dinner, and no beer."

"You never give me enough money-"

He slapped her harder, forcing her down again. "Shut the fuck up! That's not true, you just spend my hard earned money on crap like makeup! Fuck, if you're not pretty without it, you won't be with it."

"Stop it!" Christine screamed, sobbing as she came into the kitchen. "Stop treating her like that!" she screamed.

Her father turned and looked at her, along with her mother who lay on the kitchen floor sobbing, her face a mixture of bruises and puffy redness and stained tears. This happened more and more often. Christine almost didn't want to be home to witness anything, but she felt guilty leaving her mother to defend herself against her abusive husband.

"Where the hell did you come from? Your last client?" he said snidely.

Christine began crying harder. "What the hell is wrong with you?" she asked, going and helping her mother off the floor. "Why are you such an asshole?" she couldn't believe she had just said that.

"Christine, don't get involved… this isn't any of your business." her mother tried to say.

Her father kicked the mom. "Fuck, it isn't any of her business at all!" he roared at Christine. "I thought I raised you better than to talk to me that way! You will fucking go to your room!" he pointed down the hall, where her bedroom was.

"No!" she yelled. "I didn't do anything wrong!" she screamed back, outright sobbing.

"Nothing wrong?" he questioned. "You think talking back to your parent isn't wrong? Commandment number four, thou shall honour thy mother and father!" he barked, slapping her across the face this time.

Christine felt the burning sensation of his hand smacking her face, and covered it with her own hand. She shut her eyes, willing the pain and everything to go away. Without even pausing, she ran down the hall into her bedroom and slammed the door.

"That should teach her." he growled.

Christine's mom just lay on the ground stifling her sobs, when he turned and looked at her. "Get off the fucking floor and make me a meal." and he left.

- - -

Christine heard constant screaming going on outside her bedroom door for at least an hour. This was a common occurrence in her house… something she'd grown used to since she was eight. She never really knew why her father acted this way; she always thought it had to do with his work.

Laying on her bed, she finally stifled the last of her tears, and wiped the sleeve of her sweater across her puffy, red and stained face. She pulled the nearest pillow to her, and lying on her back, hugged it to her stomach in a comforting manner.

She could see the stars outside her bedroom window in the dark skies, glitter. She wished she could be there -_anywhere._

She sighed and got up off her bed, dropping the pillow on the ground. Picking up a red marker, she moved over to her desk and crossed off the day on her calendar, mumbling, "another lonely _Valentine's day_." She looked at the calendar and wished the year magically could be 1994; the year she would graduate and leave home.

Somewhere she once fantasized about going to Europe to places such as Paris… meeting a handsome young artist with silky locks, who would sweep her off her feet and they'd hide away together in foreign countries, never letting her parents find her. He'd be a starving artist, and she'd be the loyal wife who tried hard to support her poor family. She'd always love her children and him of course.

That fantasy took a turn though when she met her masked older man. He might not be an artist, but she could work around that. He'd take her to Europe where they'd re-create that dream, except he wouldn't be poor, but own a rich villa set deep in the woods, where no human could find them. There, they'd be passionately in love and… .

She turned bright red, but smiled. Even that topic was much too taboo for her.

She sat back down on her bed and sighed, wondering what Erik was doing exactly at that moment. Was he reading a daring novel about knights or even one of those seductive novels? Was he watching TV? Was he… thinking about her right now?

Getting up, Christine pressed her ear to her locked bedroom door. It was an eerie silence she heard. Moving towards her bed, she shoved her pillows under the blankets and made sure the bed looking like someone slept inside it.

Grabbing her school bag, she crammed clothes into its big compartment and made room for her school stuff and any other needed necessities. She threw it onto her back and opened her bedroom window. Throwing the bag, and hearing it land on the ground, she put her feet through, then slid her body and landed in a bush. She made sure to close the window behind her.

She sneaked out of the yard and walked briskly, until she cleared away from the house, then she started running clear down the sidewalk. The wind nipped past her ears, her hair flying back in a furry as she ran, chills running down her spine, not only because it was cold, but because she knew how wrong this was, and she had never done this before.

Erik didn't live too far from her; about a couple blocks away, but it was still a good jaunt. Eventually she slowed down though, and stopped, as she felt like she couldn't breath. Her headache she had had these past few days, suddenly felt ten times worse, and she couldn't see straight anymore.

She collapsed and knew it, when she suddenly felt the cold grass beneath her. It was sort of a nice feeling, just laying there, not being able to see in the night, just feel everything around her. She knew it was beginning to rain, for tiny raindrops that started off as a simple peck here and there, became a constant drumming on her face and body, her clothes slowly becoming wetter and wetter, like she had jumped in a pool.

She put her cold hands to her face and just felt the icy contours of herself, just running her hands through her wet curls of hair. It felt nice to just live in the moment and to just feel.

- - -

It was 9:59 at night, when Erik heard the doorbell ring to his home. Turning down the sound to the TV, he chucked the remote on the couch and moved towards the door, expecting to see Jamison's face appear behind the window next to the door.

He opened it though, to find a sopping wet Christine, shivering on his door step. "Christine?!" he spoke, alarmed. Already he was going through his mind what could of possibly happened, but then he shook his head; this wasn't the time, she needed him to take care of her. "Come inside before you catch your death." he grabbed her cold arm, and pulled her over the threshold.

Sitting her down on the couch, he grabbed a blanket and wrapped it around her, and handed her a couple towels. "Watch whatever you want, I'll make you some hot chicken noodle soup." he moved into the kitchen quickly.

He got out a pan and a can and set the pan up on the stove to boil. He couldn't fathom why she was here right now, it felt surreal. He would have thought she'd be out with a guy on Valentine's Day… though she had never mentioned any guy before. He was just making excuses in his head.

He could hear the sounds of the TV on, and smiled; she was making herself at home in his home.

Putting on an oven mitt, he picked up the pan and poured the contents in a bowl. Adding some pepper and basil, he put a spoon in, and brought the bowl over to her. "I hope you enjoy it, it is from a can." She smiled. "I'm just going to put a pot of coffee on."

Christine watched him leave, feeling so guilty to be bothering him at night. "You don't have to Erik, I'm quite fine! " she called, picking up the spoon.

Erik replied back, "No, it's no trouble at all!"

When she put the first spoonful of soup in her mouth, it felt so foreign. It was hot, but it was almost as if she couldn't feel the heat. It sent shivers down her spine as the hot liquid and noodles ran down her throat. She wished she could change her clothes desperately, but didn't want to bother Erik. Besides, what clothing could he possible offer her?

"I brought you a change of clothes." he spoke, coming down the stairs into the room, holding up a big white shirt and a pair of black pants, that were quite obviously, his. "There's a bathroom to the right of that hall." he pointed. "For you to get changed."

Christine took the clothes and smiled, it was like he had read her mind. "Thank you Erik." she got up and went to get changed.

Inside the bathroom she looked about. She had never actually been in his home, just seen the outside of it. Everything in his house seemed to be painted a dark colour. The bathroom was painted a forest green colour, and all the towels and toiletry, and toilet and counter tops, were a cream colour, the towels all had ED on one side of them. The mirror hanging over the sink was positively huge. It smelled like incense in there, and it had a few lit candles on a corner table by the bathtub.

She stripped off her wet clothing and threw them in the bathtub, putting on his clearly oversized clothing.

When she came back out, Erik was sitting down on the living room couch, two cups of coffee on the coffee table, next to her half eaten bowl of soup.

The living room in his home, was painted a deep maroon colour. Everything in his house just seemed to… fit. The most latest TV sat by a sliding door, that had matching curtains, along with the windows that went along the back wall only. There was a giant bookshelf, a red chestnut colour. The couch that he sat on was a cream colour like the bathroom, with maroon trimming, the pillows the same colour as well. The coffee table was glass resting atop of metal legs, with baskets below on top of a metal rack attached to the table. The baskets were also filled to the brim with books, just like the bookshelf. She could tell already he was a reader. She noticed that his walls were lacking pictures though; they seemed eerily bear.

"Why don't you have pictures on your walls?" she asked, sitting down next to him, taking up residence with the blanket he gave her before.

Erik looked at the walls and sighed. "No memories' I'd like to frame. " and that was all he said; such simple words that held a lot of pain in them.

Christine said nothing more on the topic, not wanting to hurt him anymore. The two just sat silently, watching the TV, both occasionally taking a sip of their coffee.

"Do your parents know you're here?" Erik asked, as an episode on TV just ended, signalling it was eleven o'clock. It was getting late, and he didn't want her to be in trouble with her parents.

Christine shook her head, trying to hold back the tears. She didn't want to look like a young cry baby in front of him.

"Christine, I'm going to be honest here," he paused and she looked at him, waiting for it. "I care about you, but I don't want to come to the door to find the police their, everyone accusing me of being some child rapist. I'm much older than you, and you being here this late at night, doesn't look too good on my part. Do you understand what I'm trying to say?"

She nodded mutely, not wanting to tell him the truth, and trying so hard not to cry. It was a fail though, because the tears were streaming down her red cheeks, soon enough.

"Christine -" he interjected, feeling horrible for saying that now. He wanted her to feel at home in his home, and how could she, when he had just said that?

"I'm sorry Erik." she put her face into his shirt on his chest, and just sobbed. "I… I," she stuttered on her words, hiccupping. "I… I… don't w…w… want to g… go home. " and she completely broke down on him.

He wrapped his arms around her quivering body and rubbed her back, feeling horrible now. Obviously she wouldn't be here at this time of night, in this weather, if she wasn't having a problem. Not wanting to force her to say anything he just whispered to her soothingly. "It's alright Christine, It's alright. I'll protect you. "

She laid in his arms for about thirty more minutes, just letting her sobs and hiccups drift away. She had never felt so safe and content in her life. Despite the crashing headache she had right now, and how dizzy she felt, she felt like everything was going to be alright, now that Erik was holding her.

"Would you like to watch a movie with me Christine?" he asked her. "You can stay the night, just as long as your parents don't find out." she nodded, and he put in a movie for them to enjoy. They watched _Disney's Beauty and the Beast. _

About forty minutes in though, Christine spoke into Erik's chest, as she had taken up the same residence in his strong and reassuring arms. "I really like you Erik… I don't know what I'd do without you." it was so soft spoken, but Erik heard every word and felt every emotion in it.

Erik felt a fear run through him. This was the last thing that should happen! She wasn't supposed to like him, because everything would go horrible. He knew he was completely in love with her, but she wasn't supposed to return any form of a feeling except friendship. He knew that no one would accept it and he would be shunned. Christine was supposed to be afraid of his mask, but she never reacted to it.

Right as the clock in his living room hit 11:59 pm exactly, Erik whispered into her sleeping ear, "I love you more than death, my sweet Valentine."


End file.
